[Warning: Spoilers for The Last of Us: Part 2 below]
Throughout the entirety of The Last of Us: Part 2, Ellie attempts to avenge Joel’s untimely death, but the problem with this mentality is that he likely would’ve been disappointed in her for doing so. Ellie put everything on the line in order to hunt down Abby, including her friends and family, thereby forgetting what’s most important in the process.
The Last of Us: Part 2's story revolves around Ellie first heading to Seattle and later California in an effort to take revenge against Abby. Abby herself was on a quest for revenge as well, one she took in honor of her father, who was killed by Joel at the Fireflies' hospital, which is meant to help players empathize and understand what she did to Joel.
But just as players are supposed to be sympathetic towards Abby’s plight, they’re also meant to understand where Ellie is coming from by the end of The Last of Us: Part 2. Ellie has lost almost everyone important to her, so it’s understandable that she’d be livid after his death. But players got to witness a whole new side to the beloved character as she sought her revenge. Not only did it leave some players frustrated with Ellie, but her actions would likely have made Joel severely disappointed.
Ellie Went Against Everything Joel Stood For In The Last Of Us 2
From the beginning of the original The Last of Us, Joel is established to be a loving family man. He may be rough around the edges, especially after decades surviving in a post-apocalyptic world, but family means everything to him. That’s why it’s so difficult for him to talk about the death of his daughter Sarah, and similarly why he can’t hand over Ellie to the Fireflies though she holds the potential to create a cure. Joel does everything he can to protect the ones he loves, even if means sacrificing the unthinkable. So, all the ways in which Ellie risked the safety of her loved ones to prioritize her quest for revenge goes against everything Joel stands for and prioritizes.
During her time in Seattle, for example, Ellie does everything to stay on the hunt for Abby. Even though Jesse urged her to bring Dina back to Jackson County after discovering she’s pregnant, Ellie makes little effort to do so, thus risking Dina and her unborn child’s life. Even though Ellie claims she went to Seattle to bring Tommy back, she prioritizes going after the WLF members responsible for Joel’s death, thereby compromising his brother’s safety. Perhaps the most telling example is when she leaves Dina and baby JJ at the farmhouse in order to pursue the lead about Abby. She abandoned her child and partner, something Joel would have likely died before doing, especially considering how vulnerable they would be alone at the farm.
Even more, in all of this, Ellie is endangering her own life. Ellie was single handily the most important person to Joel before he died – he looked at her like a daughter, which was even more significant given how he lost his own child. And, of course, what was the point of it all? Ellie never gets the revenge she so badly fought for, and even though she learned a moral lesson, she risked everything she cared about in the process. Joel would have a hard time looking past the danger that Ellie put herself and her loved ones in during the course of The Last of Us: Part 2.